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BACON BARBECUE CHICKEN AND PASTA SKILLET

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 Bacon Barbecue Chicken and Pasta Skillet Ingredients 2 cups shredded chicken (can use a rotisserie chicken or canned chicken) 1 10 oz. can Rotel (or 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and 1 can diced green chiles) 1/2 lb. pasta (such as rotini or shells) 2 cups chicken broth about 1/3 cup BBQ sauce 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese 3-6 slices bacon 2 green onions, chopped Directions: Place chicken, tomatoes, green chiles, and pasta in a large skillet. Pour in chicken broth. Place a lid on the skillet and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is absorbed. If there is extra liquid once the pasta is cooked, let simmer without the lid for a few minutes. While the pasta is simmering, cook the bacon until crispy, then crumble it into small pieces. Mix the bacon into the pasta mixture. Drizzle BBQ sauce over the top, then top with shredded cheese and green onions. Do not mix after adding the BBQ sauce because the BBQ sauce will overpower the ...
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JAPANESE STYLE FRIED RICE

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  A couple of years ago, Costco had samples for Yakitori Chicken in Japanese Style rice, and we bought some because it was good and on sale. It was packaged as several microwavable bags in one box, and each bag was enough for a large-ish lunch for one person. After buying it a few times, I decided I could probably figure out how to make it from scratch so I could save some money and make a big enough batch to feed our family of six. Here is what I came up with. Japanese Style Fried Rice 1 1/2 cups dry rice Water (for cooking rice) 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp oil, divided use 1 lb chicken breasts or tenders 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 cup shelled edamame (check the frozen vegetables section at the store) 1/2 cup frozen peas 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce Cook the rice with the 1 tsp salt, however you like best. I like to do it in the instant pot for 8 minutes. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and saute in a large frying pan with 1 tsp oil unt...
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APPLE BEET SALAD

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 This salad has a great combination of flavors with beets, apples, and an apple cider vinaigrette.  Apple Beet Salad Salad: 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded 2 apples, diced (your favorite!) 2 medium beets, cooked and diced pecans or almonds, chopped (optional) crumbly cheese, like feta (optional) Vinaigrette: 4 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar splash of mapleine  1/2 tsp salt Prepare and assemble salad ingredients. If you use red beets, they will stain the apples, so if you want a pretty presentation, don't mix right away. Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar and shake together. Pour over salad. Notes: Because my family thinks my salads are weird, I usually keep a batch of the vinaigrette in the fridge and make individual salads for myself. It makes a nice lunch with some chicken tenderloins and fruit, or it works well as a side with dinner.  You can use canned beets or cook raw beets. I actually found some frozen steamable bags ...
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TACOS AL PASTOR

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 These are my favorite tacos! Marinating the pork in achiote paste, vinegar, and pineapple juice gives the meat a delicious sweet and savory flavor, and topping the tacos with pineapple in addition to your normal taco toppings adds some complexity to your usual taco. Tacos Al Pastor Ingredients 1.5 lb pork (I usually use boneless pork loin, but you could use shoulder or tenderloin) 1 tablespoons achiote paste (I found mine on Amazon.) 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/3 cup pineapple juice Pineapple slices Corn tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, avocado, onion, etc. Directions Slice the pork into very thin slices (1/4-1/2 inch). Place in a ziploc bag. Mix achiote paste, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and pineapple juice together in a bowl. You may need to let it sit for a while to dissolve the achiote paste, and then mas...
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BUTTER CHICKEN OR MURGH MAKHANI

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  The week that this whole pandemic shutdown started, we went to dinner with my cousin. We chose the Bombay House, which has some of the best Indian food I've had. We ordered our usual favorites, and, wanting one more option, asked the server what he recommended. He suggested the Murgh Makhani, or Butter Chicken. Although I love Indian food, I don't get to eat out at a good Indian restaurant very often, and I had never had Butter Chicken before. (You may feel sorry for poor deprived me if you've grown up eating great Butter Chicken). Feeling adventurous, we took the server's recommendation and ordered the Murgh Makhani. It was definitely our favorite dish of the evening, and I realized that I had been missing out for years! Eating food like Tikka Masala and Lentil Curry. (Ok, I was not really missing really out, because those are really good, too.) By the end of the week, everything had shut down and gone a little frantic. Several months later, after pandemic things set...
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CINNAMON SWIRL ICE BOX COOKIES

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  Cinnamon Swirl Ice Box Cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 sticks butter, softened and cut in pieces 2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened 2 tsp vanilla 3 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon Using stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter one piece at a time and mix until crumbly. Add cream cheese and vanilla, and mix until combined. Knead the dough by hand a few times to make a smooth ball. Divide the dough in half. Roll out one of the dough halves between two sheets of wax or parchment paper dusted lightly with flour, forming a 12x7 inch rectangle. Combine 3 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon (I like to make two batches of 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon so both rectangles will have the same amount.) Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over rolled out dough. Lightly spray water over cinnamon sugar (this helps the dough stick when you roll it up). Starting on the short side, roll the dough into a tight log like you would with cinnamon rolls. I've found that it...
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